U17 side named for Saracens duel

The London Irish Academy has named the under-17 side to face capital rivals Saracens in a development fixture at the Hazelwood Centre next Tuesday (11^th).

Fresh from their appearance at the RFU Festival at Warwick School, where they attained two wins over Gloucester Rugby and Newcastle Falcons, the under-17s return home with a crunch derby-day tie.

Irish’s pack includes 2022/23 Premiership Rugby Under-18 Academy League winners Tayo Adegbemile and Edward Bachelor at lock and number eight, respectively.

The junior Exiles’ remaining forwards will see front-row trio Hunter Deane-Johns, Martin Chalmers and Charlie Holyer take to the pitch in Sunbury, with Isaac Sprenger partnering captain Adegbemile in the engine room.

Flankers John Edwards and Reggie Hammick join Bachelor as the elected loose forwards on Tuesday.

George Harris and Filip Edstrom are named as half-backs, with Luc Anfield and vice-captain Max Winter the chosen midfielders.

The back three includes experience through the under-18 title-winning campaign, with wings Tyler Offiah and Finlay Wiseman either side of full-back Sam Winters.

The bench is comprised of forwards Oscar Thomas, Hamdan Dawud, Alfie Holland, Oliver Agar and Owen Beswick, as well as Toby Skelly, Finn Keylock, Lockie Lee and Rafael Varona Blakstad in the backs.

The fixture kicks-off at midday on Tuesday at Hazelwood.

London Irish under-17s to face Saracens

15 Sam Winters, 14 Finlay Wiseman, 13 Max Winter (vc), 12 Luc Anfield, 11 Tyler Offiah, 10 Filip Edstrom, 9 George Harris; 1 Hunter Deane-Johns, 2 Martin Chalmers, 3 Charlie Holyer, 4 Isaac Sprenger, 5 Tayo Adegbemile (c), 6 John Edwards, 7 Reggie Hammick, 8 Edward Bachelor.

Replacements

16 Oscar Thomas, 17 Hamdan Dawud, 18 Alfie Holland, 19 Oliver Agar, 20 Owen Beswick, 21 Toby Skelly, 22 Finn Keylock, 23 Lockie Lee, 24 Rafael Varona Blakstad.